8,592nd Annual BA Convention
by DirectHit
Summary: The 8,592nd Annual B.A. Convention is here, where only the most B.A. people and their lolis are allowed to enter! As of now, there are characters from Bleach, Fairy Tail, Problem Children, and K in this crossover. More may be added later if requested.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, sorry for not updating the other story, but I'm starting this one now! If you didn't read the summary, here's a basic run down of what this story will be: and epic mash-up between Bleach, Fairy Tail, Problem Children are Coming from Another World, Aren't they? and K with only the most badass of each (and their respective lolis). Expect this one to be long, as more anime may be added in later. If you have a badass and loli you want to see appear, just post it in a review, and I'll be sure to check it out!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or anime that are referenced in this story except for Seth Makarov and Maria.**

"Ichigo!"

The orange haired teenager turns his head to see a fimiliar girl dressed in all black land gracefully in front of him. "What's up, Rukia? What brings you to Karakura Town?"

"Captain Zaraki requested that I fetch you immediately. He said it's urgent," Rukia says. She starts opening a Senkaimon with her zanpakuto.

"'Fetch me?' What does Kenpachi want with me?" Ichigo asks.

"I don't know, he didn't give me any details."

"Alright. I bet it's just another fight, anyways. He's probably getting desparate if he sent you all the way out here to get me. I might as well give him what he wants," Ichigo says, following Rukia through the Senkaimon after digesting Kon's soul candy. "Take care of my body for me, and no flirting!"

As the Senkaimon closes up, the two walk through the Dangai Precipice World, catching up with each other. They hadn't had much time to talk after the incident with the Fullbringers that happened just over a week ago.

When they finally get to the Squad 11 barracks, Rukia goes to depart, but Ichigo stops her. "Wait," he says. "If he _does_ want to start a fight, I need a witness to prove that all the damages were because of what he started."

"Fine," she says, rolling her eyes. Captain Ukitake didn't have any dire need for her right away, and if he did, he could jsut send a Hell Butterfly.

The two walk into Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of Squad 11's office, and instantly notice the odd expression on his face. It isn't it's usual boredom or the excitedness he usually has whenever the prospect of a good fight presents itself. No, his expression goes beyond excited; he seems completely ecstatic, and that makes Ichigo and Rukia both gulp audibly.

"Hey there, Ichigo. Glad you could make it," Kenpachi says almost menacingly, though that's just his normal tone of voice.

"What's this all about, Kenpachi? Why'd you summon me here?" Ichigo asks nervously.

Kenpachi waves a letter in Ichigo's direction. "This is for you," he says, letting Ichigo take the envelope. Inside, an invitation addressed to Ichigo reads:

 _ **To Mr. Ichigo Kurosaki,**_

 _ **It has come to our attention that you have met the requirements**_

 _ **as stated by the Badass Handbook of Badassery to be invited to**_

 _ **the 8,592 Annual Badass Convention. All participants are required to bring oneloli. The terms of "loli" may be discussed during the Loli Inspection.**_

 _ **We hope that you can make it and that your loli is as cute as can be!**_

"Kenpachi, is this some kind of joke?" Ichigo asks.

"Not at all, Ichigo. The ABC is the real deal, full of strong opponents from different dimensions. I've been going for as long as I've known Yachiru, because it always promises a good fight or two," Kenpachi says, the bloodlust evident in his eyes. "So, are you in? It's considered a great honor to be accepted. If you don't, you'll look like a coward."

"Wha- Who're you callin' a coward!?" Ichigo asks, pointing his finger accusingly at Kenpachi.

"Then prove that you aren't one and come with me to this year's ABC," Kenpachi says.

After a little bit, Ichigo gives in. "Fine! I'll do it. It's not like there's anything better going on around here anyways. It's only three weeks, right?" he says. "Now I just have to find a 'loli,'" he says thoughtfully. "Hey, Kenpachi, what qualifies as a loli?"

"According to the Badass Handbook of Badassery, a loli is defined as any female who is either young or appears to be young," Kenpachi says. "There's a bunch of different types of them, but I can't remember them all. I bet the runt there by your side would pass," he says, pointing at Rukia.

"Wha- me?" Rukia asks, caught off-guard. "I can't go, my Captain needs me!"

"The sick old man will understand," Kenpachi says. "The ABC is a time honored tradition that surpasses all hostilities and freindships, any duty or lack thereof. He'll be begging you to go when he finds out you've been asked."

Rukia still seems hesitant. "I-I'll have to talk with my Captain about all of this... but if he says yes, I'll go with you," the small Soul Reaper says. "Excuse me, Captain Zaraki," she says, leaving to go ask Ukitake.

 **...**

"Izayoi, you have a letter!" Black Rabbit's cheery voice can be heard in the grassy field, and she sounds full of energy and excitement.

Izayoi sits up in the grass from lazily staring up at the sky. "What's that?"

"It's from the LoB!" Black Rabbit exclaims happily. "They've chosen you as a participant!"

"LoB? Participant in what?" Izayoi asks, intrigued.

"LoB stands for League of Badasses," Leticia, who had been following Black Rabbit, answers.

"League of Badasses? Sounds like a pretentious name. So what am I participating in?" Izayoi asks again.

"Just read the letter!" Black Rabbit says, handing over the letter with the intricate wax seal with the letters "LoB" in it. On each side of the letters were wings made up of knives at the base, gradually elongating upwards into full swords.

Izayoi takes the letter, intrigued. He opens it up and reads it quickly, then laughs. "You know what? This actually soudns kind of fun. If these other participants qualify for the same 'badass' title that I do, there should be plenty of strong guys to pick a fight with there," he says.

"Who will you take as your loli?" Black Rabbit asks. "I'm sure Master Jin wouldn't mind going!"

"Nah," Izayoi says, "he's too busy to just up and go for three weeks. Besides, I have the perfect person in mind," he says, smiling mischieviously.

 **...**

"You know I can't just leave for three weeks, right? As a Floor Master, I have to supervise any and all gift games on this floor," Shiroyasha says, tapping her pipe into the ash box besides her.

"Oh, c'mon, Shiroyasha," Izayoi says in his usual smooth tone. "Black Rabbit's an official refferry, I'm sure nobody would mind if you just let her handle things while we're gone. And besides," he says, leaning in close to whisper in the White Demon's ear, "have you ever heard of an 'oppai loli'?"

Shiroyasha's eyes widen slightly, her mouth curling into a slight smile. "Do you think they'd allow an oppai loli to accompany a badass?"

"They sure do. I found the hand book the invitation talked about, and it said that, under certain conditions, an oppai may also be considered a loli," Izayoi said.

Shiroyasha contemplates a bit. "Fine, I'll go. Black Rabbit owes me one anyways."

 **...**

"Hey, Mikoto, you're invite to the ABC arrived this morning," Izumo Kusanagi says as his king walks into the bar. Anna had been sitting on the couch, quiet as usual, waiting for Mikoto to arrive. "You should be safe to go this time. After all, after the incident with the Colorless King, your Sword of Damocles seems to have started repairing itself."

Mikoto grunts. He had narrowly escaped death that day, and it was only thanks to the members of his clan, of Homra, giving a part of themselves to him in the form of many little, red lights. He looks over at Anna. "You wanna go?"

Anna nods. "I'll go where ever you go, Mikoto," she says.

Mikoto looks back over at Izumo. "While I'm gone, you're in charge," he says, just as Misaki Yata walks in.

"Whaaat? Why is he in charge? Where are you going, Mr. Mikoto?" he whines.

"Stop complaining," Izumo says. "He's doing something important. I'm in charge because I'm more responsible than you."

"Whatever," Yata says, grumbling.

Mikoto walks over to the couch with Anna on it and sits next to her, letting her lay her head in his lap. He leans his head back, closing his eyes and quickly slipping into a nap.

 **...**

Gajeel walks up to the old, torn down looking bar of the Fairy Tail Guild Hall, sits on a stool and leans forwards, putting his elbows up and propping his chin in his hand.

"Hey there, Gajeel," Mirajane says happily. "You've got a letter, it came in this morning."

"What?" Gajeel barely does more than grunt, but Mirajane understands him. "Who's it from?"

"No way," Natsu's voice interrupts as he sees the red wax seal on the envelope. "You got an invitation from the LoB this year too?" he asks excitedly.

"What the heck is LoB?" Gajeel asks, much to Natsu's confusion.

"You mean you don't know what they are?" he asks with a raised eyebrow.

"It's not really that surprising," Happy fails at whispering in Natsu's ear.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Natsu "whispers" back.

"Hey, I can hear you guys, you know!?" Gajeel says exasperatedly. "Tch, whatever," he says, taking the letter from Mirajane. He opens it and reads it, his eyebrow slowly rising as he does. "Natsu," he says, getting the fire dragon slayer's attention.

"Yeah, what is it?" Natsu asks.

"Does this mean there'll be lots of strong opponents to fight?"

"Oh, you know it," Natsu answers excitedly. "And they're all from different dimensions, so their abilities are nothing like anything you've ever seen before!"

Gajeel smiles mischieviously at that. "Pantherlily, I think this is going to be fun," he says to the small cat sitting next to him.

"Sorry Gajeel, I can't go. I promised Wendy I'd help her on a mission," Pantherlily says, causing Gajeel to look like he's been punched.

"What!? How could you just up and abandon me like that!? I thought we were friends!" he says over dramatically.

"Look, a promise is a promise. You'll just have to go without me."

"But it says I need a loli, and Natsu obviously brings Happy along, so that means you guys count!"

"I'm not going, and that's final," Pantherlily says, hopping off of the stool. "And besides, my true form definitely wouldn't qualify me."

Gajeel slumps his shoulders in defeat. "But this sounded like so much fun..."

"Don't worry, Gajeel. I'm sure Levy would be willing to go," Natsu says, pointing over to the Solid Script user.

Gajeel perks up. "Levy? Would she count?" he asks, hopeful.

"Well sure! She's super small for her age and she doesn't get mad at anyone! That definitely counts!" Natsu replies.

"You know I can hear you over there, right!?" Levy says indignantly.

"Hey, shrimp," Gajeel says, walking over to Levy's table as though she hadn't said anything. "Wanna go somewhere with me for a few weeks?"

Levy blushes slightly at the bluntness of the question. "Wh-where is it?"

"I don't know. Hey, Natsu, where is this place?" He asks across the hall.

"It's in some different dimension," Natsu calls back.

"Why are you asking me?"Levy asks.

"Well, Pantherlily said no, and I need a loli to go with me," Gajeel says, triggering irritation in Levy.

"So you think I'm a loli just because I'm a little small for my age? What are you trying to say, Gajeel?" Levy asks dangerously.

"I-I didn't say anything!" Gajeel says quickly. "Natsu's the one who suggested it!"

"Oh, did he now?" she asks, turning towards the pink haired wizard. However, Natsu's already left, having seen this coming.

"Natsu, you traitor!" Gajeel calls out as Levy's attention turns back to him.

 **...**

"It might have been a little cruel to leave Gajeel back there by himself," Happy says casually.

"Nah, I'm sure Levy'll agree to go," Natsu replies.

"Still, she seemed pretty mad."

"She'll get over it."

"If you say so."

 **...**

A large man with blonde hair sits in his chair, observing the many screens in front of him. His brown eyes survey a multitude of scenes, and a smile breaks through his thick beard.

"Sir?" a small, white haired girl with golden eyes says hesitantly.

"What is it, Maria?" the man asks. He turns to her and smiles kindly.

"Sorry to bother you, but the preparations are complete," the girl says. She doesn't appear to be a child, but rather a small tennager.

"Very well," the man says. He, too, is a teenager, but his build makes him look to be at least 20.

"Did they accept?" Maria asks, looking pointedly at the moniters.

The man pats his knee, motioning for the girl to sit on it. She does so without hesitation, and he turns so that she, too, can see the many people who received invitations.

"It seems as though the newest ones have taken a liking to the idea," the man says.

"And Mikoto Suoh has finally agreed to participate," Maria points out.

"Yes, this should be an interesting ABC indeed."

"Yes, sir."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello all, it is I, once again! If you follow my other current fic, you'll know that I have been without internet since Wednesday. However, I am back now, and with loads of new content for you to enjoy!**

 **Alright, here's what I'm thinking: The characters mentioned in the last chapter will be the ones that this fic focuses on, and any other pairs will be featured as opponents in the tournament (spoilers!). Any suggestions will appear in this way, as well as anyone I can think of.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of the anime or characters referenced here except for Seth Makarov, Maria and Charles.**

It's been three weeks since the invitations have been sent out to the many participants of this year's ABC, and Seth Makarov, founder and chief of the League of Badasses, organizer of the Annual Badass Convention is lying down in a rather comfortable looking, obscenely large bed. He watches the second hand of a large and ridiculously complex clock on the wall slowly tick towards 7 A.M., Common Universal Time.

It was then that he would extend his power out to each invitee and whomever they're touching and transport them almost instantly to his own dimension, where the convention would be held.

"Sir," Maria says, quietly walking into the room. She's the only one allowed to enter this bedroom without knocking because it's actually hers. He just likes to spend his downtime here while she's out and about.

"Yes?" Seth replies, his blonde bangs hanging down over his eyes as he sits up. He's still undressed, wearing only a pair of shorts while Maria is fully clothed in a simple black dress over her pale skin with see-through lace shoulders and upper chest and back. Her white hair is pulled up into a pony tail, leaving only her short bangs to cover her forehead.

"It's almost time. I was coming to wake you up, then I noticed that you were already awake," Maria says with a slight monotone.

"Then why come in here? Oh, I get it," Seth says, a smile creeping up on his face. "You just wanted to show off your dress to me, huh?"

"N-no," Maria says, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks. "I just wanted to make sure you were getting up."

"I'm so glad I made you with such pale skin," Seth says. "It makes every blush of yours clearly visible. It's so cute."

"Jerk," Maria says under her breath as she turns around and does the closest thing to storming off that a person would dare to do in front of their creator. Not only did Seth create her, but he also created everything in this dimension of his.

Seth chuckles slightly as he watches her go. "I probably shouldn't piss her off so much," he says to himself.

"Agreed, sir," a male voice comes from seemingly nowhere.

"Ah, Charles," Seth says in recognition. "I suppose it's a good thing you've activated. I'm sure people will have questions, what with all of the new arrivals."

"I will handle any questions they have, sir, as usual," Charles says.

"Good. Well, I suppose I should get dressed now," Seth says.

"Should I check on Miss Maria?" Charles asks.

"No, leave her be. She'll cool off on her own. After all, she loves this event almost more than I do," Seth answers. "Just make sure that everything's up to snuff. Check up on the chef, see if he needs anything. If he does, arrange for it."

"Yes, sir."

Seth, without any angry assistants or disembodied voices hanging around him, gets up and takes a shower. He doesn't really have to, as he doesn't really sweat or get dirty, but it does add a sense of normality to his abnormal life and he likes the feeling of the hot water on his skin. Once he's done, he walks over to the giant wardrobe in the corner of the room and opens it up, picking out an outfit of dark blue jeans and a green T shirt with a black trench coat. He puts it on and leaves the coat open, then walks over to a pair of traditional Japanese wooden sandals and slips his feet into them.

The large man starts walking through the giant halls of the luxurious fortress that is his home. Everything around him is modeled after his favorite architecture and designs of other dimensions; even the manners he's taught his people are from other worlds. Of course, that isn't to say that _everything_ is copied, as he takes special care when crafting each person in his world to make them unique in every way.

After a long flight of stairs, Seth reaches the main entrance hall. It can easily fit thousands of people, and it'll need to for the event. He checks the expensive looking watch on his wrist and sees that the minute hand is only five ticks away from seven o'clock. He sighs and holds his arms out in front of him, using his abilities to teleport Maria into his arms.

The girl gives a small sound of surprise, blushing slightly at the outburst. "I'm sorry," she says, apologizing for her earlier comment.

"It's alright, Maria. I deserved it. If I didn't want you to insult me when I need it, I wouldn't have given you the ability to, would I?" Seth asks, still holding his assisstant. "I should apologize for the sudden teleport. It's getting close to time and I didn't feel like looking for you."

"It's no trouble, sir. Will you set me down, now?" Maria says, feeling a little awkward as they've stayed in this position for quite a while. Seth gently sets Maria on her feet. She walks over to her position at his side, slightly behind him. She then grabs the sleeve of his trench coat and points to his hair, reminding him that it was still a sloppy mess. Seth runs a hand through one half of it and it obeys his command, leaving his right bangs neatly down in front his forehead and the left side slicked back. Maria eyes him jealously, remembering how long it had taken her to get her bangs perfect.

When Seth checks his watch again, the seventh hour has been struck. He puts his hands out in a grand gesture and closes his eyes, letting his energy tap into every person that he'd been watching in the past few months. He pulls them and their companions through the gaps between dimensions, filling the huge space in under a second. The thickness of the air is suddenly so high that a normal human would have severe trouble breathing due to the energy that the new arrivals are giving off.

"Hello!" Seth calls, his voice taking up the entire hall. "Welcome, all of you, to the 8,592nd Annual Badass Convention! To the existing members, hello again, and to the new participants, I'm pleased to meet you! This convention will last for three whole weeks, and in that time you all will be able to meet others, make new friends and fight powerful new people.

"There will be a contest of strength and skill, a tournament otherwise impossible to determine the most powerful loli-carrying badass of them all! Last year's winner, Gildarts, will not be attending this year, as he is currently working and without a loli to bring.

"This year we have plenty of new and powerful participants. I have faith that the fight for first place will be a vicious and brutal one as usual. There are three prizes for first place. The first is a place in the League of Badasses Hall of Fame, where only the best fighters of the most badass people have a place for themselves.

"The second prize is any one wish that is in my power to grant. Keep in mind that I cannot bend the will of those not created by me to any extent, nor can I create any device that will directly impact any dimension but this one.

"Last but certainly not least, the victor of the Annual Badass Convention's Contest of Badassery will have earned the right to challenge myself, creator of this dimension to an all out, no-holds barred, one on one battle that will last until one person either gives up or can no longer fight!"

At the end of the speech, many cheers and battle cries erupt from the crowd, filling the entrance hall. Of course, not everyone joins in the yelling, but those who do more than make up for their silence.

After a short time Seth waves his hands to quiet the all down and, with a wave of his hand, a hallway to the East opens and a banner with the word "Registration" is printed on it is hung over the entrance.

"I ask that those of you who have already participated in years past and have brought their previous lolis go through Registration first, so as to get them out of the way quickly and easily. Then, the new member or anyone with a new loli will be registered and their loli will be inspected," Seth explains.

At least 80% of the group departs for the new hallway. The air is filled with small conversations of old friends catching up on their latest adventures. This includes Kenpachi Zaraki and Natsu Dragneel, who immediately find each other.

"Hey, if it isn't Kenpachi Zaraki!" Natsu calls over the croud. Of all the people he'd fought at the 6 ABC's he's been in, Kenpachi was the one who took the most beating before falling. That said, he had never actually beaten him, as their fights usually ended in draws.

"Natsu," Kenpachi says, his smile widening. "How about we ditch the Registration and fight right now?" he suggests.

"Sounds like a plan," Natsu says with the same battle eager tone.

"But Natsu, remember what happened last time you tried to skip out on Registration?" Happy says, making the dragon slayer freeze. A breif memory akin to one of Erza's rampages flashes through his mind before he runs off towards the Eastern hallway.

"Sorry Kenpachi, after Registration we'll have the first match for sure!" he calls out behind him.

"Tch, whatever," Kenpachi says, walking after the pink haired man. "Guess I'd better go too."

This leaves Ichigo and Gajeel staring after the pair. They then look over at each other and size the other up, both of them coming to the conclusion that the other looks kinda funny.

"What're you lookin' at, carrot top?" Gajeel says rudely as a way of greeting.

"Gajeel!" Levy says in a shocked tone. "Don't be so rude!"

"Who're you calling carrot top!? At least I have eyebrows!" Ichigo responds. _'What is it with wierd guys and eyebrows?'_

"Ichigo, quit being obnoxious," Rukia says authoritatively.

"Why you little-" Gajeel starts, pulling his fist back. It starts turning into a steel pillar, ready to strike at Ichigo who already has his zanpakuto drawn. Just as they're about to clash, however, they both feel a sense of heaviness weighing down on them, and fear creeps its way into their bodies.

"Now, now, there'll be plenty of time for that later," Seth's voice says in a dangerously polite tone. "Put the weapons away, boys, or _somebody_ could get _seriously_ hurt."

The two slowly lower their offensives, Ichigo rewrapping his blade and putting it on his back while Gajeel lets his hand return to normal. They don't dare move quickly for fear of causing the seemingly giant man behind them to strike out.

"Good. Now, after Registration, you'll be shown to the fighting grounds where you can duke it out to your hearts' content," Seth's normal tone returns, and the uneasiness fades away. He seems to shrink down a bit, though he's still taller than them. "You don't have to worry about causing any real damage or about any unstableness in your powers, as nothing in this dimension will have a permanent affect on anybody here," he says, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Ichigo is relieved to hear that. It means that his inner hollow won't be able to take control of him while he's here, so he can cut loose and go all out.

"Also, to make sure that everyone has a fair chance, all forms of power are the same here. Spirit energy, magic power, whatever you want to call it, it's all the same. That means that beings like Soul Reapers who can only be cut by a zanpakuto will be vulnerable to any other weapon as though it were one," Seth explains.

"Now then, I believe it's time for the rest of you to be registrated," Seth calls out to the remaining group. "As you can see, it won't take that long at all unless you make things difficult."

Everyone shuffles over to the Eastern wing and into another large room where many people are seated behind desks with papers on them, ready for the next batch of participants. Ichigo and Rukia go to the one closest to them while Gajeel and Levy enter the line beside them, and both pairs only have one pair before their turns.

In front of Ichigo and Rukia is Izayoi and Shiroyasha, who quickly answer the questions asked by the woman behind the desk. "Name? First only, please."

"Izayoi."

"Loli name?"

"Shiroyasha."

"Species?"

"Human."

"Loli species?"

Izayoi lets Shiroyasha answer that. "Demon Lord."

"Greatest accomplishment?"

"Saving an entire district from the myths of the Pied Piper and defeating the incarnation of the Black Death."

"Type of ability?"

"Unknown."

"Possible ability to counter other abilities," Shiroyasha adds.

"Relationship with loli?"

Izayoi looks over at Shiroyasha questioningly. _'Friends?'_ his eyes commincate.

Shiroyasha shakes her head slightly and answers. "Mutual appreciators of true art," she says. Izayoi shrugs his approval.

"Type of loli?"

"Unaging loli, perverted yet mature personality," Izayoi says, remembering the classifications he had read. Shiroyasha eyes him with a certain level of praise for his thoroughness.

"Alright, that should be it," the receptionist says. "Your loli will be inspected in the next room for any abilities or hidden forms. These won't disqualify you, but we do need to see them."

"Sounds good to me," Izayoi says. He and Shiroyasha walk away and to the door to the next room beside Anna and Mikoto, who were in front of Gajeel and Levy.

The Loli Inspection room is even larger than the grand hall, and many lolis are in the middle of showcasing their abilities. Anna and Mikoto walk to an empty area that's marked out by yellow lines where a man with a clipboard is standing, waiting for them.

When they arrive, they see that the man already has the paper from the receptionist on his clipboard and is penning in some notes. "Alright, does Miss Anna have any special abilities or transformations?"

Anna speaks up. "No transformations, but I can locate things with my marbles," she says, holding out the four red spheres. "I need a map."

The man pulls a map of the mansion out from his pocket, spreading it on the ground. Anna, after looking at the man through one of the marbles, sets them on the map and concentrates. They start circling around in at eventually close in on one place, the four of them clacking together and stopping abruptly. "Your wallet is there," Anna says, picking up her marbles.

The man realizes that she read his mind through her marble and picks up a portable radio from his belt. He says something into it and gets a response a shrt while after, confirming that the wallet was indeed where Anna said it was. "Is that all?" he asks.

"Yes," Anna replies, grabbing onto Mikoto's pant leg.

"Ok, you're now fully registered. Proceed to the next room where you'll be given the keys to your room."

Behind yet another door, the large crowd of people from earlier are still waiting for everyone to finish registration. A few faces were missing from the original group, as they hadn't passed certain qualifications, most typically during the loli inspection.

Once all of the remaining participants were in the final area, Seth waves their chatter down once again. "Congratulations, all of you, for passing the Registration," he says. "You'll now be presented the keys to you room and a map of the premises. If you have any questions, feel free to ask Charles."

"Hello," Charles says politely. "All you have to do is call for me, and I'll respond."

"Thank you Charles. Is the food ready?" Seth asks.

"Momentarily, sir. The chef had a slight tomato shortage," Charles reports.

"Of course he did," Seth says, a few older members in the crowd chuckling, remembering the cook's notorious obsession for red sauces. Seth snaps his fingers. "There, that should do it."

A loud yell can be heard and a few unintelligible curses through the thick walls. "He says 'Thank you,' sir," Charles says.

"Of course he does," Seth says. A few more people laugh a bit at the exchange. Then, Seth turns back to the crowd. "Now, some of you new members may be wondering, 'If we had to bring a loli, where's this guy's loli?' Well, she's right here. Say hello, Maria," Seth introduces her, stepping to the side to reveal her fully.

"Hello, thank you for coming," Maria says, trying to remain expressionless despite her obvious nervousness. She doesn't speak very loudly, so Seth amplifies her voice so that everyone can hear her, making her blush slightly.

"Isn't she adorable?" Seth says, to which many of the females in the crowd let out a long "Awwww," causing her to blush even harder and return to Seth's back. No matter how many times they have this event, she's always had stage fright. "My lovely assistant be in charge of any activity the lolis will be offered to participate in. This will include scavenger hunts, foot races and arts and crafts sessions.

"Prizes will be awarded to those who win these activities as well. Badasses are allowed to participate in these too, but they can only help their loli. The same is true for the tounament. A loli cannot compete by themselves, but they can assist their companion if they wish," Seth clarifies.

"What is the activity for today?" Seth asks Maria.

Maria manages to calm herself down and speak professionally. "Today will be a crafts race," she announces. Seth smiles and claps his hands together, and dozens of long tables appear with a bunch of different materials.

"Each person or team will have two hours to create a miniature house," Maria continues. "The build that is judged as the best will be used as a model for the tournament arena. Please use the fully extent of your imagination, and create whatever you desire."

"Alright, you heard the lady!" Seth says, taking over. "The time starts now!"


	3. Chapter 3

**I'd love to tell you that I've been working hard this past month, but that'd be a lie. I also don't have a reasonable excuse. All I can do is give you this and hope you don't stay too mad at me! Enjoy and review!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned except for Seth Makarov, Maria and Charles.**

 _This_.

"Ichigo, pass me the tape!"

 _This_ is why.

"Ichigo, are you listening to me? I need the tape!"

If there were anything, _anything,_ else that he could be doing _besides_ arts and crafts with _Rukia,_ he'd be doing it.

 _*SMACK*_

"Ow! What was that for!?" Ichigo yells out as the foot that had been planted in his face pulls itself out of the impression it leaves.

"You weren't listening, and I needed the tape," Rukia explains, landing gently. She grabs the tape dispenser from Ichigo's side of the table and scurries over to her work space. Ichigo groans as he watches her connect edges of colorful scraps on the monstrosity in front of her.

He looks around at the other tables. Sure, there are some other ones that don't look so good, some that may even be _worse_ than Rukia's, but it's not so much about the quality of what she's building as its general shape.

Honestly, he's kind of glad that she sucks so much at art, because if he had to fight inside of a giant _rabbit_ he would have nightmares for _weeks._

In his scan of the room he catches glimpses of some pretty amazing structures. The girl that was with that really annoying guy dressed in all black with the piercings ( _what was his name?_ ) used some sort of magic to make a castle out of the words brick, glass and stone.

Another creation looks so detailed it looked like miniature people had built it. It's like a high-rise apartment complex, and he wouldn't be surprised if each room was fully decorated. This one is being made by the little girl with silver hair, accompanied by the tall scary looking guy with red hair.

However, neither of these compare to the masterpiece a few tables over from him and Rukia. It had been complete in a manner of minutes by a little girl in a kimono. It looks like an old japanese dojo that had been built by a madman, with tons of walls and wooden poles sticking out everywhere. It would make for an interesting arena, to say the least, but the thing that's making some people look away from their own projects was the aura that surrounds it, instilling a sense of excitement and energy in the groups nearest to it.

Ichigo's gaze turns back to Rukia's project and he shudders once more at the thought of a larger scale version. _This_ is why he doesn't let her make things.

Standing at the top of the stair case in the room, Seth and Maria announce that the time limit is up. They walk down to the crowd and start perusing the creations, taking note of each one. They spend no more time on any one than another and inspect each building equally, and some people start to wonder what exactly they're looking for, as they seem interested even in the silliest of designs.

After a good 30 minutes of judging, the pair meet back up at the top of the stair case. They exchanging some words and consider their choice for a moment until Seth calls for everyone's attention.

"A decision has been made," the large man announces. "After much consideration, both Maria and I have observed what we deem to be the best choice for an arena for this year's tournament."

Seth steps away from the railing and allows Maria to come forward. The small girl looks towards Rukia, and Ichigo gulps audibly. _'They wouldn't...'_

"The design for this year's arena has been chosen from the creation of Rukia Kuchiki," Maria says officially. Due to Seth's flair for drama, the room goes dark with the exception of a single spot light shining down upon the black haired Soul Reaper and her large rabbit.

"Of course," Seth says, resuming his position, "there will be adjustments as we scale it to a thousand times the original size, but we will attempt to retain as much detail as we can." Every word seems to be another nail in Ichigo's coffin.

"I thank you all for participating! Now, Charles will show you all to your rooms," Seth says, allowing the AI to take over. "After you've set your luggage there, the way to the dining hall and the training grounds will be open."

 **...**

"Gotta say, I've never fought inside a giant rabbit before," Natsu says casually to his fellow dragon slayer. Gajeel just grunts in response. He isn't feeling very sociable at the moment because he was hungry, and while the dining hall is available, the food was not. This was to ensure that those with larger apetites did not eat all of the food before the others could get any.

"I'm a little surprised they chose that rabbit for the arena," Levy says skeptically.

"Yeah right, you're just jealous you didn't win," Gajeel cops back. Grumpy though he may be, he'd never miss an opportunity to poke fun at the little squirt.

"What'd you say!?" Levy's cheeks puff up in indignation before she turns away with a "hmmph", crossing her arms over her chest.

"Honesty, it's not all that surprising that they chose that one," Happy interjects. "They always choose the wierdest arenas."

"Yeah, no kidding," Natsu adds, "One year we had to duke it out in a giant burrito." The fire dragon slayer seems to shiver at the memory, his face turning purple.

"What's wrong with Salamander?" Gajeel asks.

"That year the arena sprouted wings and started flying halfway through the fight because it lasted so long," Happy answers, giggling at the memory of Natsu nearly barfing while slowly being overwhelmed by the beefy contents of the giant winged burrito.

The talk of a giant burrito starts to stir Gajeel's hunger again, but he doesn't complain about it due to what happend about 10 seconds after he walked into the dining hall. After voicing several rather loud opinions about "not waiting for those slow pokes", Seth had shown up and explained the policy in much the same way Mirjane might with a smile on his face the whole time, but there was an underlying sense of dread radiating off of him.

So, Gajeel simply sits and waits for the food, glancing here and there for any stray bits of metal that might be lying around. _'I wonder where that carrot top's at,'_ Gajeel thinks to himself, theorizing that a good fight might make him focus a little less on the emptiness of his stomach.

Even though Ichigo's fairly far away and more and more people are filing in by the second it doesn't take long to find him. He and the black haired girl he brought with him are causing a bit of commotion, even amongst the antics of the rest of the weird people in the dining hall. Though he can't hear what they're saying clearly, Gajeel can tell by the look on the Rukia's face that Ichigo had probably said something that upset her without even realizing what he'd done because he himself has been in that position before with a certain blue haired squirt.

"Hey, I never said the rabbit sucked, I just don't want to fight in it!" Ichgio exclaims in defense.

"That because you think it sucks!" Rukia accuses.

"Will you stop putting words in my mouth!?"

"Only if you admit that Chappy is cute and adorable!"

"Well, maybe the real one..."

 _*SMACK*_

"OUCH! What the heck was that for!?"

"For saying my Chappy looks bad!"

"I never said that!"

"Hey, Carrot Top!" a gravelly voice yells over the noise. Ichigo grits his teeth at the insult and turns around, recognizing the voice.

"It's you," he grinds out, a dangerous smile plastered on his face.

"Yeah, it's me," Gajeel says, butting his head against Ichigo's. "What say you we head on over to the training grounds and have ourselves a battle?"

"I'd say that sounds like a great idea," Ichigo replies, pushing back at the metal eater's forehead with his own. The two stay like that, growling at each other with wide, insane grins on their faces before they take off as fast as possible down the hallway to the place where Charles had indicated they could fight.

"Last one their has to let the other one hit them in the face!" Gajeel challenges.

"You're on!" Ichigo replies before flash stepping once, just to give himself a bit of a lead.

"Wha- Hey, no fair!" Gajeel exclaims, not stopping for a second. Instead, he extends his fist towards the orange haired guy and turns it into a black iron beam aimed straight for Ichigo's legs.

"Look who's not playing fair now!" Ichigo retorts as he easily dodges the attack. What he doesn't realize though, as his head is currently turned back towards Gajeel, is the Gajeel didn't miss at all.

 _*TWANG*_

The sounds of a skull bouncing off of iron resonates throughout the hallway as Gajeel leaps over Ichigo, who had crumpled to the floor after ramming head first into the metal beam that Gajeel had transformed his arm into. He keeps running, looking back and sticking his tongue out, pulling his bottom eyelid down and spanking himself tauntingly.

After a minute of recovery, Ichigo grinds his teeth together. "That was a dirty trick! Get back here, you metal studded freak!" he roars, flash stepping as fast as possible towards the barely visible Gajeel. He was currently opening the door that he knew led to the training grounds, and he was determined to get there first. "Bankai!" he shouts, bolstering his speed immensely.

Gajeel, feeling the burst in power, hurries up to get inside the huge double doors and win the race. He can feel Ichigo closing in on him fast and knows that he has no time to waste. Just as he's entering the giant expanse of the multi-terrain training area, though, Ichigo appears right beside him, reaching an arm out to make it in first.

This causes Ichigo to bump into Gajeel, and the two of them are thrown to the ground. It isn't long, however, before the both of them are at each other's throats again, each claiming victory over the other.

"Ahem, sirs?" the robotic voice of Charles says, getting the pair's attention. "If I may interject, the two of you entered this room at exactly the same time," he says. Both Ichigo and Gajeel freeze up for a second before glaring at the other, as if accusing each other of bribing the AI. They stand up and leap backwards, putting a fair amount of distance between them.

The commotion they caused just entering the training grounds was enough to draw the attention of some nearby people who had already begun training, but they quickly lost interest and got back to their activities as Ichigo and Gajeel each enter a ready stance, Ichigo with Tensa Zangetsu and Gajeel with... well... Gajeel.

Ichigo starts the fight by kicking off of the ground at high speed, flying at his opponent who barely has enough time to turn his fist into metal and block the attack. "You're pretty quick," Ichigo says, the tone of battle in his voice. "Nice little trick you've got, turning your body into metal."

"Yeah, you're not so bad yourself," Gajeel returns, just as dangerously. "But there's plenty more where that came from!" the wizard cries out, aiming a punch for Ichigo's gut. He misses, though, as he knew he would, and quickly sweeps around himself in a wide arc to ensure that, wherever the Soul Reaper disappeared to, he'll find him if he's near enough to hit.

Ichigo ducks under the large steel beam and aims to slash Gajeel in the side, but his blade is stopped with the sound of metal on metal. Ichigo's eyes widen in surprise, the shock of the sudden impact jarring his arms as well as his mind. _'How can he deflect my zanpakuto like that!?'_

"Surprised?" Gajeel leers. "You really are dumb, huh? You'd think that you'd learn by now that I can turn my whole body into metal." Gajeel seizes the opportunity and quickly trips Ichigo by sweeping his legs, punching him in the gut as he falls.

The blow sends Ichigo back a little ways. He stands up, trying to regain the air from his recently emptied lungs.

"Oh come on, is that all you Soul Reapers have to offer?" Gajeel taunts. "If so, that's so boring! If not, then come over here and show me what you're made of!"

"That's not what he means, Mr. Redfox," Seth's voice interjects, the man seeming to appear out of nowhere. "You see, his sword, or zanpakuto, has raw spirit energy running through it, making even the dullest blade razor sharp," he explains to Gajeel. "Of course, a weapon like that would be a little over powered against enemies that don't have protection from spiritual weapons, so I modified how it works. I did the same with everyone's abilities, in fact. As long as you're in this dimension, your power and energy is just the same as everyone else's, and it's called Lithul," the creator says, causing Ichigo and Gajeel to nod, even though they have little to no idea what he meant by that.

Seth picks up on their blank stares and sighs. "Ichigo, just think of his metal skin as an arrancar's hierro. You'll have to either cut hard enough to break metal with a regular sword or find an opening to attack."

Ichigo nods at that. "Sounds simple enough. So, I'll just hit him harder then!" he yells, charging Gajeel once again. This time, though, Gajeel has a surprise.

"Iron Dragon Roar!" the black haired man shouts, putting his hands in front of his mouth as though he were gripping a clarinet and blowing out through them in a spray of metal dust.

Ichigo sees the attack and barely has time to react. "Getsuga Tensho!" he announces, swinging Tensa Zangetsu in a wide arc and sending a wave of blood red energy crashing into the oncoming attack. The two neutralize each other, leaving Ichigo and Gajeel panting. Gajeel had meant to end it there and put over half his Lithul into that attack, making Ichigo respond in kind.

"Hey, I'm getting a little tired, so what say you we end this here and now?" Ichigo suggests. Gajeel grins.

"I was thinking the same thing," he says, putting his hands together and forming his Iron Dragon Sword. Ichigo coats his blade in an unfired Getsuga Tensho, increasing its destructive capability. The both kick off of the ground and run at each other, bringing their swords at the other's, causing a sizable explosion of energy. Some people look at it with mild curiosity, ginning at Gajeel and Ichigo's determination.

Once the dust settles a few seconds later, Ichigo and Gajeel are on the ground, having been blown back 20 feet each by the repercussion of the swords. The both look at each other and smile before getting up.

"Nice fight, Carrot Top," Gajeel says.

"Not so bad yourself, Metal Freak," Ichigo replies.

Suddenly, the door to the training ground bursts open and a truly malificent aura comes from within the building. The two guys freeze, a cold sweat breaking out for both of them, they slowly turn to face the doorway, where two rather small girls glare daggers back at them.

"Gajeel..." Levy almost growls out.

"Ichigo..." Rukia mirrors the same dangerously angry tone.

"Oh, hey, Rukia, I just remembered, Gajeel and I've got something we gotta do," Ichigo says, grabbing Gajeel as though he were an old pal and quickly making his way away from the murderous pair.

"Yeah, we've got that thing, don't we? I almost forgot," Gajeel plays along, and once they're out of Rukia and Levy's spell range they take off as fast as their legs can carry them. "Do you have any idea why they're mad!?" Gajeel asks Ichigo.

"No clue!" Ichigo replies. "Just keep running!"

Seth just chuckles as he watches the four of them looking so lively. "This is exactly the kind of thing I like about this convention," he says as Maria walks in behind Rukia and Levy, who have taken off after their badasses.

Maria just shakes her head and sighs, a look of pity on her face. "I swear, men can be so dense," she says. "I bet they don't even know what they did."

"All men?" Seth asks playfully with a sideways grin on his face.

"Yes, all men," Maria replies confidently, making Seth's smile falter.

"Well, what do you suppose they did?" Seth asks to change the subject.

"There's a sign right in front of the dining hall that says that badasses and lolis that are in a relationship can get a special meal with their own table. Mr. Redfox promised Miss Mcgarden he'd do it with her. He then ditched Miss McGarden to run off and fight with Mr. Kurosaki, so Miss McGarden told Miss Kuchiki," Maria explains.

"But then why is Rukia mad at Ichigo?" Seth asks, confused.

Maria just sighs. "She's mad at Mr. Kurosaki for stealing away Mr. Redfox."

"But how was he supposed to know about the promise?" Seth inquires, mystified at he logic.

"A woman's heart is something that not even you can understand completely, sir," Maria states.

"Apparently. It's a wonder you're so similar to them in emotions, considering I made you," Seth says, more to himself than to Maria. "Still, I can usually tell what you're thinking, even if I don't always know why."

Maria doesn't argue with him, but in her mind she can't help but giggle at her creator. He doesn't know what she's thinking right now, otherwise there'd be trouble...

"What's so funny?" Seth asks, making Maria snap out of her daze.

"Huh?" she asks.

"I said: what's so funny?" Seth repeats, amiling triumphantly at having caught his assisstant off guard.

"Nothing, sir," Maria says firmly, quickly regaining her composure. _'How does he do that?'_

"Sure," Seth says, letting the matter go. "Anyways, I'm sure there are people who're getting pretty grumpy in the dining hall right about now," Seth says before snapping his fingers, teleporting everyone outside the dining hall to a table, with him and Maria at the head table.

"Hello, everyone!" Seth calls out for his guests' attention. "I'm sure you've all had a very long day, so now it's time to eat!" And, with the snap of his fingers, the tables are laden with all sorts of food, ranging from Chinese to American delicacies, though Italian seems to be the main theme.

Seth sits down at the table next to his assistant and digs in to the food before them. He keeps a watchful eye out for everyone, smiling at the thousands of different pairs interacting with each other. He loves the opportunity to bring people together across dimensions like this. He's also sure he isn't the only one who can't wait for tomorrow's main event: the start of the tournament.


End file.
